Sermon on the Mount
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Overview of the Sermon on the Mount
Overview of the Sermon on the Mount
The Bible Exposition Commentary (Chapter Four: The King’s Principles: True Righteousness (Matthew 5))
I have always felt that Matthew 5:20 was the key to this important sermon: “For I say unto you, that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.”
The main theme is true righteousness.
The religious leaders had an artificial, external righteousness based on Law. But the righteousness Jesus described is a true and vital righteousness that begins internally, in the heart. The Pharisees were concerned about the minute details of conduct, but they neglected the major matter of character. Conduct flows out of character.
The Beatitudes Matt. 5:1-12
The Beatitudes Matt. 5:1-12
1 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.
2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.
12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
“In this chapter, Jesus gave three explanations about true, spiritual righteousness”
Today we will be going over the first one: Having a True Righteous Character
The Bible Exposition Commentary (Chapter Four: The King’s Principles: True Righteousness (Matthew 5))
Being a master Teacher, our Lord did not begin this important sermon with a negative criticism of the scribes and Pharisees. He began with a positive emphasis on righteous character and the blessings that it brings to the life of the believer.
The Pharisees taught that righteousness was an external thing, a matter of obeying rules and regulations. Righteousness could be measured by praying, giving, fasting, etc.
In the Beatitudes and the pictures of the believer, Jesus described Christian character that flowed from within.
Imagine how the crowd’s attention was riveted on Jesus when He uttered His first word: “Blessed.” (The Latin word for blessed is beatus, and from this comes the word beatitude.) This was a powerful word to those who heard Jesus that day. To them it meant “divine joy and perfect happiness.”
“Blessed” implied an inner satisfaction and sufficiency that did not depend on outward circumstances for happiness.
This is what the Lord offers those who trust Him!
The Beatitudes describe the attitudes that ought to be in our lives today.
Several attitudes are described here.
1. Our attitude toward ourselves (v. 3).
- To be poor in spirit means to be humble, to have a correct estimate of oneself (Rom. 12:3). It does not mean to be “poor spirited” and have no backbone at all! “Poor in spirit” is the opposite of the world’s attitudes of self-praise and self-assertion. It is not a false humility that says, “I am not worth anything, I can’t do anything!” It is honesty with ourselves: we know ourselves, accept ourselves, and try to be ourselves to the glory of God.
2. Our attitude toward our sins (vv. 4–6).
We mourn over sin and despise it. We see sin the way God sees it and seek to treat it the way God does. Those who cover sin or defend sin certainly have the wrong attitude. We should not only mourn over our sins, but we should also meekly submit to God (see Luke 18:9–14; Phil. 3:1–14). Meekness is not weakness, for both Moses and Jesus were meek men (Num. 12:3; Matt. 11:29). This word translated “meek” was used by the Greeks to describe a horse that had been broken. It refers to power under control.
3. Our attitude toward the Lord (vv. 7–9).
We experience God’s mercy when we trust Christ (Eph. 2:4–7), and He gives us a clean heart (Acts 15:9) and peace within (Rom. 5:1). But having received His mercy, we then share His mercy with others. We seek to keep our hearts pure that we might see God in our lives today. We become peacemakers in a troubled world and channels for God’s mercy, purity, and peace.
4. Our attitude toward the world (vv. 10–12).
It is not easy to be a dedicated Christian. Our society is not a friend to God nor to God’s people. Whether we like it or not, there is conflict between us and the world. Why? Because we are different from the world and we have different attitudes. As we read the Beatitudes, we find that they represent an outlook radically different from that of the world. The world praises pride, not humility. The world endorses sin, especially if you “get away with it.” The world is at war with God, while God is seeking to reconcile His enemies and make them His children. We must expect to be persecuted if we are living as God wants us to live. But we must be sure that our suffering is not due to our own foolishness or disobedience.
Do you understand that these are characteristics that are displayed depending on your character.
If you are to honestly look at yourself, which of these are characteristics you see in yourself? Or don’t see in yourself?
Which of these would be good for you to work on?
Which of these characteristics do you see in Jesus and why?
Disciples and the World Matt. 5:13-20
Disciples and the World Matt. 5:13-20
Intro Game
Intro activities using eggs and salt
Eggs and water floating (Bottom line: the right type of attitude and words can really be uplifting)
Water bowl with string and ice cubes (Are you beginning to see how important salt can be?)
Eggs and salt stacking on top of each other (Bottom Line: Just a little salt makes all the difference)
13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.
14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.
15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.
16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.
19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Verse 13 -
What is salt used for?
Seasoning (to taste better)
Preserving (used for meats before refrigeration)
It increases thirst (righteous living should make others want to have the joy that we have…they become thirsty)
Verse 14 - Use light and basket to illustrate
Verses 17-19 -
The Bible Exposition Commentary (Chapter Four: The King’s Principles: True Righteousness (Matthew 5))
Certainly after the crowd heard our Lord’s description of the kind of person God blesses, they said to themselves, “But we could never attain that kind of character. How can we have this righteousness? Where does it come from?”
They wondered how His teaching related to what they had been taught all their lives. What about Moses and the Law?In the Law of Moses, God certainly revealed His standards for holy living. The Pharisees defended the Law and sought to obey it. But Jesus said that the true righteousness that pleases God must exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees—and to the common people, the scribes and Pharisees were the holiest men in the community! If they had not attained, what hope was there for anybody else?
Jesus explained His own attitude toward the Law by describing three possible relationships.
We can seek to destroy the Law (v. 17a). The Pharisees thought Jesus was doing this. To begin with, His authority did not come from any of the recognized leaders or schools. Instead of teaching “from authorities” as did the scribes and Pharisees, Jesus taught with authority.Not only in His authority, but also in His activity, Jesus seemed to defy the Law. He deliberately healed people on the Sabbath Day and paid no attention to the traditions of the Pharisees. Our Lord’s associations also seemed contrary to the Law, for He was the friend of publicans and sinners.
Yet, it was the Pharisees who were destroying the Law! By their traditions, they robbed the people of the Word of God; and by their hypocritical lives, they disobeyed the very Law that they claimed to protect. The Pharisees thought they were conserving God’s Word, when in reality they were preserving God’s Word: embalming it so that it no longer had life!
Their rejection of Christ when He came to earth proved that the inner truth of the Law had not penetrated their hearts. Jesus made it clear that He had come to honor the Law and help God’s people love it, learn it, and live it. He would not accept the artificial righteousness of the religious leaders. Their righteousness was only an external masquerade. Their religion was a dead ritual, not a living relationship. It was artificial; it did not reproduce itself in others in a living way. It made them proud, not humble; it led to bondage, not liberty.
- Jesus’ fulfillment would extend to the smallest Hebrew letter, the “jot”, and even to the smallest stroke of a Hebrew letter, the “tittle.” In English a jot would correspond to the dot above the letter “i” (and look like an apostrophe), and a tittle would be seen in the difference between a “P” and an “R”. The small angled line that completes the “R” is like a tittle.
These things are important because letters make up words and even a slight change in a letter might change the meaning of a word. Jesus said He would fulfill the Law by obeying it perfectly and would fulfill the prophets’ predictions of the Messiah and His kingdom.
But the responsibility of the people was made clear. The righteousness they were currently seeking—that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law—was insufficient for entrance into the kingdom Jesus was offering. The righteousness He demanded was not merely external; it was a true inner righteousness based on faith in God’s Word (Rom. 3:21–22). This is clear from what follows.
Verse 20 - The Key verse for the whole sermon on the Mount. If the Pharisees couldn’t make it into heaven, then how could anyone else?
10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
How Righteousness Works in Daily Life
How Righteousness Works in Daily Life
Murder:
21 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’
22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.
23 So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,
24 leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
25 Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison.
26 Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.
Jesus took six important Old Testament laws and interpreted them for His people in the light of the new life He came to give.
He made a fundamental change without altering God’s standards: He dealt with the attitudes and intents of the heart and not simply with the external action.
The Pharisees said that righteousness consisted of performing certain actions, but Jesus said it centered in the attitudes of the heart.
Likewise, with sin: The Pharisees had a list of external actions that were sinful, but Jesus explained that sin came from the attitudes of the heart.
Anger is murder in the heart; lust is adultery in the heart.
The person who says that he “lives by the Sermon on the Mount” may not realize that the Sermon on the Mount is more difficult to keep than the original Ten Commandments!
Murder (vv. 21–26; Ex. 20:13). I have read that one out of every thirty-five deaths in Chicago is a murder, and that most of these murders are “crimes of passion” caused by anger among friends or relatives.
Jesus did not say that anger leads to murder; He said that anger is murder.
There is a holy anger against sin (Eph. 4:26), but Jesus talked about an unholy anger against people.
The word He used in Matthew 5:22 means “a settled anger, malice that is nursed inwardly.”
Jesus described a sinful experience that involved several stages. First there was causeless anger. This anger then exploded into words: “Raca—empty-headed person!” (Fool!).
These words added fuel to the fire so that the person said, “You fool—rebel!”
Anger is such a foolish thing. It makes us destroyers instead of builders. It robs us of freedom and makes us prisoners.
To hate someone is to commit murder in our hearts (1 John 3:15). This does not mean that we should go ahead and murder someone we hate, since we have already sinned inwardly. Obviously, sinful feelings are not excuses for sinful deeds. Sinful anger robs us of fellowship with God as well as with our brothers, but it does not put us into jail as murderers. However, more than one person has become a murderer because he failed to control sinful anger.
Sinful anger must be faced honestly and must be confessed to God as sin. We must go to our brother and get the matter settled, and we must do it quickly. The longer we wait, the worse the bondage becomes! We put ourselves into a terrible prison when we refuse to be reconciled. This is both spiritually and physically (v. 25).
“It has well been said that the person who refuses to forgive his brother destroys the very bridge over which he himself must walk.”
Adultery:
27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’
28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell.
30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.
31 “It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’
32 But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
We must remember that Jesus is not changing any of the laws or desires of God. Rather He is teaching the people what God’s commandments were designed to mean. It is not about the strictness of the wording. Rather God is interested in your heart. Yet again!
Here we see that Jesus is once again taking things a little bit further than the people imagined. He first said that before God, Hatred was like murder. Now Jesus is saying that looking at another person with lust is the same as committing adultery. WHAT???
What does this mean?
It means that Jesus is again looking at what is going on within you. Your heart and mind are doing what your body isn’t getting. Imagining/fantasizing about that person is just mentally a means of trying to please yourself with a sexual pleasure.
God knows/sees what is of your heart.
People today have a poor understanding of pornography. It is viewed as a means of gaining personal pleasure. An addiction that everyone has right? SO why does it matter if I do it. What could it do to harm me? Just a little porn couldn’t hurt could it?
The answer is undoubtedly yes! Pornography destroys the mind and the heart. It is an unhealthy addiction. Simply getting married wont take away the affects of pornography. It always leaves you wanting more. You want to watch it to feel pleasure, and then it leaves you feeling dirty and lonely. The the only thing that you can do it go back to it to try to ease the pain and feed the addiction.
Give the example of the wolves licking the knives and tasting their own blood until it kills them.
Scientifically it is shown that watching pornography is highly addicting because it is linked to our brain. When you do something you enjoy, your brain releases dopamine. It is a chemical of the brain that makes you feel happy or rewarded. When people watch pornography, your mind releases dopamine. Then it begins to release other chemicals that associate activities with that release. Therefore, it becomes highly addictive. Your brain wants that release of dopamine to feel good. And therefore, your brain knows how to get that release. And it is through porn.
The same thing happens with drugs like cocaine. Or even things like sugar. It is highly addictive because it is linked to the happy drug of your brain called dopamine.
With all of this being said, looking with lust at another person is sin in the sight of God. Why, because He knows the true intentions of your heart, not just your actions done in the daylight.
What is Jesus’ solution to this?
Remove access to it!
Here He once again says something absolutely crazy. And thats to cut off your hand or remove your eye (the two parts of the body that often lead up to sexual sin).
Now, I have a question for you… do you think that Jesus meant this literally?
That we are supposed to physically remove body parts. Will that keep us from having lustful thoughts and desires?
No it won’t. Remember that God looks at the heart. And you don’t need a hand or an eye to sin in your heart.
So then what is He getting at?
He is helping us understand that we need to remove the things in our lives that lead us to sin. If it an app, then delete it. If it is a particular person, then change the time you spend with them, if it is a magazine, throw it away, if it is a website, then put restrictions on your phone.
We must treat sin as being as dangerous as it actually is. The bible says that sin results in death. Physical separation from God forever. It also results in physical and mental results.
Lust and adultery are the reason that countless divorces fail every year. Children growing up without a mom or a dad or a healthy view of marriage.
With all of this being said, I hope you don’t walk away with this impression that God hates sex or love.
That is the opposite of the case. He is the one who created it in the first place. It was meant to be a gift between a husband and wife. And done within this context, it brings a marriage relationship close together. No other thoughts of another woman or man in mind. Simply enjoying one anther in a healthy and good way.
So to finalize the passage tonight which Jesus talks about. He mentions marriage and divorce.
The reason that God does not like divorce is because of the way it destroys the image He created marriage to be. Marriage is meant to represent the relationship between Jesus (the groom) and the church (the bride). The groom in Jewish culture would prepare a home for the couple, and once it was ready, they would marry and the groom would take the bride home to the place he prepared for them. This is the comparison to Jesus saving us and one day taking us to be with Him is heaven which He has prepared for us.
Likewise, a biblical husband is supposed to be willing to make many sacrifices for His wife and the wife is supposed to love her husband and follow his leadership in the relationship. This again reflects Jesus and us. He sacrificed Himself for us, and we are to obey him out of a great love for Him.
Now be clear in hearing that I am not saying anything to reflect what culture says about a man or a woman being more important of greater thant the other.
The Bible teaches that God made both man and woman equally in His image. However, God did design man and woman to be different and have different roles in marriage. The reason for this was to reflect what Jesus would do for us His people.
So when people get divorced, that are reflecting that Jesus would break off the union and relationship He made for us. That this relationship os not holy or too important. People get married and divorced for selfish reasons. Biblical couples get married and stay married with humble and selfless hearts. You choose to love each other when things are hard. Its a commitment that you promise not to break, just as God would never break with us.
Oaths and Retaliation
Oaths and Retaliation
33 “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’
34 But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God,
35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.
36 And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black.
37 Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.
38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’
39 But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.
40 And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.
41 And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.
42 Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’
44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
47 And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?
48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Oaths:
vv. 33-37 -
This is not the sin of “cursing,” but the sin of using oaths to affirm that what is said is true.
The Pharisees used all kinds of tricks to sidestep the truth, and oaths were among them. They would avoid using the holy name of God, but they would come close by using the city of Jerusalem, heaven, earth, or some part of the body.
Jesus taught that our conversation should be so honest, and our character so true, that we would not need “crutches” to get people to believe us. Words depend on character, and oaths cannot compensate for a poor character.
The more words a man uses to convince us, the more suspicious we should be.
Retaliation:
vv. 38-42
The original law was a fair one; it kept people from forcing the offender to pay a greater price than the offense deserved.
It also prevented people from taking personal revenge.
Jesus replaced a law with an attitude: be willing to suffer loss yourself rather than cause another to suffer.
Of course, He applied this to personal insults, not to groups or nations.
The person who retaliates only makes himself and the offender feel worse; and the result is a settled war and not peace.
In order to “turn the other cheek,” we must stay where we are and not run away. This demands both faith and love. It also means that we will be hurt, but it is better to be hurt on the outside than to be harmed on the inside.
But it further means that we should try to help the sinner. We are vulnerable, because he may attack us anew; but we are also victorious, because Jesus is on our side, helping us and building our characters.
Psychologists tell us that violence is born of weakness, not strength. It is the strong man who can love and suffer hurt; it is the weak man who thinks only of himself and hurts others to protect himself. He hurts others then runs away to protect himself.
Love of enemies
vv. 43-48
Nowhere did the Law teach hatred for one’s enemies.
Jesus defined our enemies as those who curse us, hate us, and exploit us selfishly.
Since Christian love is an act of the will, and not simply an emotion
After all, He loved us when we were His enemies (Rom. 5:10).
We may show this love by blessing those who curse us, doing good to them, and praying for them. When we pray for our enemies, we find it easier to love them. It takes the “poison” out of our attitudes.
Jesus gave several reasons for this admonition:
(1) This love is a mark of maturity, proving that we are sons of the Father, and not just little children.
(2) It is Godlike. The Father shares His good things with those who oppose Him.
(3) It is a testimony to others. “What do you do more than others?” is a good question.
God expects us to live on a much higher plane than the lost people of the world who return good for good and evil for evil. As Christians, we must return good for evil as an investment of love.
The word perfect in Matthew 5:48 does not imply sinlessly perfect, for that is impossible in this life (though it is a good goal to strive for). It suggests completeness, maturity, as the sons of God. The Father loves His enemies and seeks to make them His children, and we should assist Him!
Our Giving:
Our Giving:
1 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.
2 “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.
3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
4 so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
The Bible Exposition Commentary (Chapter Five: The King’s Principles: True Worship (Matthew 6))
Giving alms to the poor, praying, and fasting were important disciplines in the religion of the Pharisees. Jesus did not condemn these practices, but He did caution us to make sure that our hearts are right as we practice them.
The Pharisees used almsgiving to gain favor with God and attention from men, both of which were wrong motives. No amount of giving can purchase salvation; for salvation is the gift of God (Eph. 2:8–9).
And to live for the praise of men is a foolish thing because the glory of man does not last (1 Peter 1:24). It is the glory and praise of God that really counts!
If our motive is to get the praise of men, then like the Pharisees, we will call attention to what we are doing. But if our motive is to serve God in love and please Him, then we will give our gifts without calling attention to them.
As a result, we will grow spiritually; God will be glorified; and others will be helped.
But if we give with the wrong motive, we rob ourselves of blessing and reward and rob God of glory, even though the money we share might help a needy person.
A remaining question is this:
“Do you desire others to notice and commend you for things that you are doing for God?”
Remember, God looks to your heart!
Our Praying
Our Praying
5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.
6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words.
8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
9 Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.
10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread,
12 and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you,
15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Jesus gave four instructions to guide us in our praying:
1. We must pray in secret before we pray in public (v. 6).
It is not wrong to pray in public in the assembly (1 Tim. 2:1ff), or even when blessing food (John 6:11) or seeking God’s help (John 11:41–42; Acts 27:35).
But it is wrong to pray in public if we are not in the habit of praying in private. Observers may think that we are practicing prayer when we are not, and this is hypocrisy. The word translated closet means “a private chamber.” It could refer to the store-chamber in a house. Our Lord prayed privately (Mark 1:35); so did Elisha (2 Kings 4:32ff) and Daniel (Dan. 6:10ff).
2. We must pray sincerely (vv. 7–8). The fact that a request is repeated does not make it a “vain repetition”; for both Jesus and Paul repeated their petitions (Matt. 26:36–46; 2 Cor. 12:7–8). A request becomes a “vain repetition” if it is only a babbling of words without a sincere heart desire to seek and do God’s will. The mere reciting of memorized prayers can be vain repetition. The Gentiles had such prayers in their pagan ceremonies (see 1 Kings 18:26).
With some people, praying is like putting the needle on a phonograph record and then forgetting about it. But God does not answer insincere prayers.
3. We must pray in God’s will (vv. 9–13). This prayer is known familiarly as “The Lord’s Prayer,” but “The Disciples’ Prayer” would be a more accurate title.
Jesus did not give this prayer to us to be memorized and recited a given number of times. In fact, He gave this prayer to keep us from using vain repetitions. Jesus did not say, “Pray in these words.” He said, “Pray after this manner”; that is, “Use this prayer as a pattern, not as a substitute.”The purpose of prayer is to glorify God’s name, and to ask for help to accomplish His will on earth. This prayer begins with God’s interests, not ours: God’s name, God’s kingdom, and God’s will.
Robert Law has said, “Prayer is a mighty instrument, not for getting man’s will done in heaven, but for getting God’s will done in earth.”
We have no right to ask God for anything that will dishonor His name, delay His kingdom, or disturb His will on earth.
When we pray, we must remember that we are part of God’s worldwide family of believers. We have no right to ask for ourselves anything that would harm another member of the family. If we are praying in the will of God, the answer will be a blessing to all of God’s people in one way or another.
If we put God’s concerns first, then we can bring our own needs. God is concerned about our needs and knows them even before we mention them (Matt. 6:8). If this is the case, then why pray?
Because prayer is the God-appointed way to have these needs met (see James 4:1–3). Prayer prepares us for the proper use of the answer.
If we know our need, and if we voice it to God, trusting Him for His provision, then we will make better use of the answer than if God forced it on us without our asking.
It is right to pray for daily physical needs, for forgiveness, and for guidance and protection from evil.
4. We must pray, having a forgiving spirit toward others (vv. 14–15).
In this “appendix” to the prayer, Jesus expanded the last phrase of Matthew 6:12, “as we forgive our debtors.” He later repeated this lesson to His disciples (Mark 11:19–26). He was not teaching that believers earned God’s forgiveness by forgiving others; for this would be contrary to God’s free grace and mercy. However, if we have truly experienced God’s forgiveness, then we will have a readiness to forgive others (Eph. 4:32; Col. 3:13).
When we forgive each other, we are not earning the right to prayer; for the privilege of prayer is a part of our sonship (Rom. 8:15–16).
If I am not in fellowship with God, I cannot pray effectively.
But fellowship with my brother helps to determine my fellowship with God; hence, forgiveness is important to prayer.Since prayer involves glorifying God’s name, hastening the coming of God’s kingdom (2 Peter 3:12), and helping to accomplish God’s will on earth, the one praying must not have sin in his heart.
“The important thing about prayer is not simply getting an answer, but being the kind of person whom God can trust with an answer.”
Our Fasting (Matt. 6:16-18)
Our Fasting (Matt. 6:16-18)
16 “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.
17 But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,
18 that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
The only fast that God actually required of the Jewish people was on the annual Day of Atonement (Lev. 23:27).
The Pharisees fasted each Monday and Thursday (Luke 18:12) and did so in such a way that people knew they were fasting.
Their purpose, of course, was to win the praise of men. As a result, the Pharisees lost God’s blessing.
It is not wrong to fast, if we do it in the right way and with the right motive. Jesus fasted (Matt. 4:3); so did the members of the early church (Acts 13:2).
Fasting helps to discipline the appetites of the body (Luke 21:34) and keep our spiritual priorities straight.
But fasting must never become an opportunity for temptation (1 Cor. 7:5).
Simply to deprive ourselves of a natural benefit (such as food or sleep) is not of itself fasting. We must devote ourselves to God and worship Him. Unless there is the devotion of the heart (see Zech. 7) there is no lasting spiritual benefit.
As with giving and praying, true fasting must be done in secret; it is between the believer and God.
To make our faces look glum and ask for pity and praise would destroy the very purpose of the fast.
Our Lord here laid down a basic principle of spiritual living: Nothing that is truly spiritual will violate that which God has given us in nature. God usually does not tear down one good thing in order to build up another. If we have to look miserable to be considered spiritual, then there is something wrong with our views of spirituality.
Remember that hypocrisy robs us of reality in Christian living. We substitute reputation for character, mere words for true prayer, money for the devotion of the heart. No wonder Jesus compared the Pharisees to tombs that were whitewashed on the outside, but filthy on the inside! (Matt. 23:27–28)
But hypocrisy not only robs us of character, it also robs us of spiritual rewards.
Instead of the eternal approval of God, we receive the shallow praise of men. We pray, but there are no answers. We fast, but the inner man shows no improvement.
The spiritual life becomes hollow and lifeless.
We miss the blessing of God here and now, and also lose the reward of God when Christ returns.
The first step toward overcoming hypocrisy is to be honest with God in our secret life. We must never pray anything that we do not mean from the heart; otherwise, our prayers are simply empty words.
Our motive must be to please God alone, no matter what men may say or do. We must cultivate the heart in the secret place. When reputation becomes more important than character, we have become hypocrites.
Our Use of Wealth (Matt. 6:19–24)
Our Use of Wealth (Matt. 6:19–24)
Do Treasure Hunt 1st
Do Treasure Hunt 1st
Then come back to fire pit area and do the Lesson!
Review of Sermon on the Mount
Review of Sermon on the Mount
Today’s Lesson
Today’s Lesson
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal,
20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light,
23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
We are accustomed to dividing life into the “spiritual” and the “material”; but Jesus made no such division.
In many of His parables, He made it clear that a right attitude toward wealth is a mark of true spirituality (see Luke 12:13ff; 16:1–31).
The Pharisees were covetous (Luke 16:14) and used religion to make money. If we have the true righteousness of Christ in our lives, then we will have a proper attitude toward material wealth.
Nowhere did Jesus magnify poverty or criticize the legitimate getting of wealth.
God made all things, including food, clothing, and precious metals. God has declared that all things He has made are good (Gen. 1:31). God knows that we need certain things in order to live (Matt. 6:32).
It is not wrong to possess things, but it is wrong for things to have to strong of an influence on us.
We have been talking about the sin of Hypocrisy a LOT in Jesus’ sermon. Well today we see that the sin of idolatry is as dangerous as the sin of hypocrisy!
There are many warnings in the Bible against covetousness (Ex. 20:17; Ps. 119:36; Mark 7:22; Luke 12:15ff; Eph. 5:5; Col. 3:5).
3 Areas of Enslavement (vv. 19–24).
3 Areas of Enslavement (vv. 19–24).
Materialism will enslave the (1) heart (Matt. 6:19–21), (2) the mind (Matt. 6:22–23), and (3) the will (Matt. 6:24).
If the heart loves material things, and puts earthly gain above heavenly investments, then the result can only be a tragic loss.
The treasures of earth may be used for God. But if we gather material things for ourselves, we will lose them; and we will lose our hearts with them. Instead of spiritual enrichment, we will experience impoverishment.
You cannot hold onto things here, the end result of any person on this earth will be leaving things behind. You can never take them with you.
You could see where the Egyptians tried so hard to take things with them or be surrounded by wealth in hopes that their afterlife would be better or more comfortable. But it was a worthless effort. You brought nothing into this life with you, and I can assure you that you cannot take anything with you.
SO.....Use things as they are meant to be used. As resources, tools in your toolbox, whatever it may be to enable you to live life well and honor God.
What does it mean to lay up treasures in heaven? It means to use all that we have for the glory of God.
It means to “hang loose” when it comes to the material things of life. It also means measuring life by the true riches of the kingdom and not by the false riches of this world.
Wealth not only enslaves the heart, but it also enslaves the mind (Matt. 6:22–23).
God’s Word often uses the eye to represent the attitudes of the mind. If the eye is properly focused on the light, the body can function properly in its movements. It is most difficult to make progress while trying to look in two directions at the same time. Single focus allows you to do things well and with great affect.
If our aim in life is to get material gain, it will mean darkness within.
But if our outlook is to serve and glorify God, there will be light within.
Finally, materialism can enslave the will (Matt. 6:24). We cannot serve two masters simultaneously.
Either Jesus Christ is our Lord, or money is our lord.
It is a matter of the will. “But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare” (1 Tim. 6:9).
If God grants riches, and we use them for His glory, then riches are a blessing.
But if we “determine” to get rich, and live with that outlook, we will pay a great price for those riches.
Wealth and riches are often the thing people dream and aspire to have the most. Why? Because money can buy you a lot of things in life.
But listen to this statistic about the lottery: 70% of lottery winners go bankrupt within a few years of winning.
Can I honestly tell you something? Money is a terrible god. It leaves you chasing more and always losing more in the end.
Do you remember what was in the treasure box we found?
1. A Heart
2. A watch
What do you think these things have to do with this lesson and with each other?
Our heart is where our treasure is!
SO how do we find our heart? We figure out what we treasure most. How do we do that? Look at what consumes most of your time, and you will find what the treasure of your heart is (some things consume time but are more about a necessity to live. Don’t think about those. With those things removed what do you do with your own free time. Now you will begin to find the treasure of your life and likewise your heart!
So my question for you is:
What do you treasure most? Where is your heart at? How are those things constantly demanding more and more out of you, and often leaving you empty and tired.
Remember, God always looks to the heart! He can tell what its true treasure is!
Anxiety and Worry (Matthew 6:25-34)
Anxiety and Worry (Matthew 6:25-34)
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?
28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin,
29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Remeber what we were just talking about last week? We discussed the love of money! We also talked about what we treasure most in life!
Whatever you treasure, what will you find with that treasure??? Your heart will be found there too!
Jesus warned us that being covetous of a life with money where you serve it as your master, will only lead to loss and more hurt than whatever you were feeling before.
Now, this leads us up to today’s lesson. Jesus introduces the topic of anxiety based on His previous discussion of wealth. The person who pursues money thinks that riches will solve his problems, when in reality, riches will create more problems! Material wealth gives a dangerous, false sense of security, and that feeling ends in tragedy.
People often pursue money out of fear for their future and their circumstances! And yet remember what I told you last week! Money is a terrible god!
Jesus, however, looks to the heart! Remember????
Well if people are pursuing money the way that they are, then there must be some root issue beneath that which is causing their behavior and their desperate attempt to acquire wealth.
Jesus says that the root issue comes down to a lack of trust in God… In other words, WORRY or ANXIETY.
Worry and anxiety are not natural to creation and they are unspiritual.
The birds and lilies do not fret and worry; yet they have God’s wealth in ways that man cannot duplicate.
All of nature depends on God, and God never fails. Only mortal man depends on money, and money always fails.
Jesus said that worry is sinful. We may dignify worry by calling it by some other name—concern, burden, a cross to bear—but the results are still the same.
Unfortunately for us as people, to be worried is an unfortunate trait that we learn as children and now is an instinctive response to fear of the unknown.
Instead of helping us live longer, anxiety only makes life shorter (Matt. 6:27). Worry pulls us apart.
Until man interferes, everything in nature works together, because all of nature trusts God. Man, however, is pulled apart because he tries to live his own life by depending on material wealth.
God feeds the birds and clothes the lilies. He will feed and clothe us. It is our “little faith” that hinders Him from working as He would. He has great blessings for us if only we will yield to Him and live for the riches that last forever.
Loss of testimony (vv. 31–33). To worry about material things is to live like the heathen! If we put God’s will and God’s righteousness first in our lives, He will take care of everything else. What a testimony it is to the world when a Christian dares to practice Matthew 6:33! What a tragedy it is when so many of us fail to practice it.
Loss of joy today (v. 34). Worrying about tomorrow does not help either tomorrow or today. If anything, it robs us of our effectiveness today—which means we will be even less effective tomorrow. Someone has said that the average person is crucifying himself between two thieves: the regrets of yesterday and the worries about tomorrow.
It is right to plan for the future and even to save for the future (2 Cor. 12:14; 1 Tim. 5:8).
But it is a sin to worry about the future and permit tomorrow to rob today of its blessings.
Three words in this section point the way to victory over worry: (1) faith (Matt. 6:30), trusting God to meet our needs; (2) Father (Matt. 6:32), knowing He cares for His children; and (3) first (Matt. 6:33), putting God’s will first in our lives so that He might be glorified. If we have faith in our Father and put Him first, He will meet our needs.
Hypocrisy and anxiety are sins. If we practice the true righteousness of the kingdom, we will avoid these sins and live for God’s glory.
Key verse to this whole passage is Matthew 6:33
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
The solution is to trust God like all of creation does, and pursue things that matter. Remember we talked about this last week. When we chase the wrong things, we are pursuing things that are fleeting and that we can never really take hold of. It slips between our fingers and it always will. Wealth is a terrbile god that makes you desperate and it results in worry. That worry leads to wasting away your life with a lack of purpose and joy.
Do you see the chain reaction that a lack of trusting God creates?
No trust - turn to wealth- can’t grasp wealth - worried - desperate - no joy - wasted life!
Jesus wants you to pursue the things that are of interest to Him. And guess what, when you do, and you seek His purposes, He promises to care for all of your NEEDS. Remember that there is a difference between our wants and our NEEDS. God will provide all that you need in order to do HIS will!
And buckle up! I can honetly tell you that it is REALLY rewarding and EXCITING to see God show up in big ways to provide when you are doing the right thing by trusting Him and pursuing Him!
God is compared to as our FATHER. Fathers are supposed to provide for their children. And when Fathers do this, its a joy to them to see their children cared for and properly provided for.
Now, some of you may not have the best earlthy fathers (there are no perfect ones by the way!). But God will be a perfect Father. You cna count on that.
Now this is an extrememly hard subject to apply and live by, because we live in a culture that fosters and teaches and supports anxiety. We live in the most anxious age to have probably ever existed. And I think there are many things that foster this issue that I won’t get into. But I beg you to break the cultural norm and choose rather to trust and seek what God desires. There is a difference between trusting Him to provide what He knows you need and you “trusting God to give you what you think you need and actually are trying to demand from God”.
Matthew 7:1-6
Matthew 7:1-6
1 “Do not judge so that you will not be judged.
2 “For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.
3 “Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?
4 “Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye?
5 “You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.
6 “Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.
Jesus introduced the idea of judgement.
The first principle of judgment is that we begin with ourselves.
Jesus did not forbid us to judge others, for careful discrimination is essential in the Christian life. Christian love is not blind (Phil. 1:9–10). The person who believes all that he hears, and accepts everyone who claims to be spiritual will experience confusion and great spiritual loss. But before we judge others, we must judge ourselves. There are several reasons for this.
Also note that there is a difference between judging someone by belittling them with our thoughts and looks/glances, and using discernment. We must use a discerning type of judgement. Not one that makes us feel or believe that we are above other people.
We shall be judged (v. 1). The tense of the verb judged signifies a once-for-all final judgment. If we first judge ourselves, then we are preparing for that final judgment when we face God. The Pharisees “played God” as they condemned other people; but they never considered that God would one day judge them.
We are being judged (v. 2). The parallel passage in Luke 6:37–38 is helpful here. Not only will God judge us at the end, but people are also judging us right now; and we receive from people exactly what we give. The kind of judgment, and the measure of judgment, comes right back to us. We reap what we have sown.
We must see clearly to help others (vv. 3–5). The purpose of self-judgment is to prepare us to serve others. Christians are obligated to help each other grow in grace. When we do not judge ourselves, we not only hurt ourselves, but we also hurt those to whom we could minister. The Pharisees judged and criticized others to make themselves look good (Luke 18:9–14). But Christians should judge themselves so that they can help others look good. There is a difference!
Quick question:
Have any of you ever had a gnat or a bug fly into your eye, or maybe smoke from a bonfire blew into your face and it feels like your eyes are burning. In either of these circumstances, you can likely remember not being able to see for a few minutes until you could find relief from whatever it was that was hurting your eye. Whether it was getting the bug out of your eye or waiting for the smoke to claear. Either way, you had to wait so that you could have your sight restored. Well Jesus gavea a similar example:
The picture of a man with a two-by-four stuck in his eye, trying to remove a speck of dust from another man’s eye, is ridiculous indeed! If we do not honestly face up to our own sins, and confess them, we blind ourselves to ourselves; and then we cannot see clearly enough to help others. The Pharisees saw the sins of other people, but they would not look at their own sins.
In Matthew 6:22–23, Jesus used the illustration of the eye to teach us how to have a spiritual outlook on life. We must not pass judgment on others’ motives. We should examine their actions and attitudes, but we cannot judge their motives—for only God can see their hearts. It is possible for a person to do a good work with a bad motive. It is also possible to fail in a task and yet be very sincerely motivated. When we stand before Christ at the Judgment Seat, He will examine the secrets of the heart and reward us accordingly (Rom. 2:16; Col. 3:22–25).
But let me also warn you not to take this one of two extreme routes:
1. The first is the deception of a shallow examination. Sometimes we are so sure of ourselves that we fail to examine our hearts honestly and thoroughly. A quick glance into the mirror of the Word will never reveal the true situation (James 1:22–25).
2. The second extreme is what I call a “perpetual autopsy.” Sometimes we get so wrapped up in self-examination that we become unbalanced. But we should not look only at ourselves, or we will become discouraged and defeated. We should look by faith to Jesus Christ and let Him forgive and restore us. Satan is the accuser (Rev. 12:10), and he enjoys it when we accuse and condemn ourselves!
After we have judged ourselves honestly before God, and have removed those things that blind us, then we can help others and properly judge their works. But if we know there are sins in our lives, and we try to help others, we are hypocrites. In fact, it is possible for ministry to be a device to cover up sin! The Pharisees were guilty of this, and Jesus denounced them for it.
The reason for judgment, then, is not that we might condemn others, but that we might be able to minister to them. Notice that Jesus always dealt with individuals according to their needs and their spiritual condition. He did not have a memorized speech that He used with everybody. He discussed the new birth with Nicodemus, but He spoke of living water to the Samaritan woman. When the religious leaders tried to trap Him, He refused to answer their question (Matt. 21:23–27). It is a wise Christian who first assesses the condition of a person’s heart before sharing the precious pearls.
Matthew 7:7-12
Matthew 7:7-12
7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.
9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone?
10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent?
11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
12 “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
The resources God gives us (vv. 7–11).
The resources God gives us (vv. 7–11).
Why did our Lord discuss prayer at this point in His message? These verses seem to be an interruption, but they are not. You and I are human and fallible; we make mistakes. Only God can judge perfectly. Therefore, we must pray and seek His wisdom and direction. “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God” (James 1:5).
Young King Solomon knew that he lacked the needed wisdom to judge Israel, so he prayed to God; and the Lord graciously answered (1 Kings 3:3ff). If we are to have spiritual discernment, we must keep on asking God, keep on seeking His will, keep on knocking at the door that leads to greater ministry. God meets the needs of His children.
We must be careful not to take this passage to the extreme and then start asking selfish type of questions to God.
He is not a giene in a bottle that we can rub and then make our wishes. Our wish is your command…right??? Isn’t that what Jesus is saying?
No, for a person who lives with the type of righteousness that Jesus has been describing (seeking 1st His Kingdom) isn’t going to ask for things that are only centered around him/herself. They will ask for needs and things that will help them to accomplish God’s desires and please Him.
When we pray in ways like this, we are aligning ourselves with the same desires that God provides.
I can tell you several things that I have been praying for and had to learn to wait on too. I think Chase was here when I shared this in my sermon a few weeks ago:
Upon moving up here, I asked God to answer these prayers: (1) A good church and a place to serve, (2) Help to finish School, (3) A job after School, (4) a godly woman (prayed for this for quite a few years actually).
Over the past 2 years, I have seen God’s help and provision of each of these things. Some of them I had to learn to wait for in His timing. Others I asked for selfishly and I had to learn to devote myself/ along with what I was asking for to Him.
I can honestly tell you that God has always provided what I need (maybe not all I want, but definitely everything I need! Maybe not when I asked for it, but in its proper timing!)
The guiding principle (v. 12).
The guiding principle (v. 12).
This is the so-called “Golden Rule,” one of the most misunderstood statements in the Bible. This statement is not the sum total of Christian truth, nor is it God’s plan of redemption.
This great truth is a principle that ought to govern our attitudes toward others. It only applies to believers, and it must be practiced in every area of life.
The person who practices the Golden Rule refuses to say or do anything that would harm himself or others. If our judging of others is not governed by this principle, we will become proud and critical, and our own spiritual character will degenerate.
Practicing the Golden Rule releases the love of God in our lives and enables us to help others, even those who want to hurt us.
But remember that practicing the Golden Rule means paying a price. If we want God’s best for ourselves and others, but others resist God’s will, then they will oppose us.
We are salt, and salt stings the open wound. We are light, and light exposes dirt.
When you are living for Jesus and the people you hang out with are not, there will be a little bit of a rub… some friction. Not necessarily arguments or fights, but your view on life and decisions are different. That will cause some differentiation.
Remember what we are called to be…salt and a light. These things have an effect on that which is decaying and which is still dirty (sinful).
Finally, my last challenge for you is to do what Jesus tells us here. Keep asking, seeking, and knocking for God!
He is not in the business of playing hide and go seek with you.
God desires a relationship with YOU!
He wants to give you HIS righteousness that ultimately makes you free of accusation and sin before God!
Seek Him while you still can! I promise you, if you turn to God with your whole heart and honestly seek Him, you WILL find Him! ANd you will find life and joy with that!
Matthew 7:13-23
Matthew 7:13-23
13 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.
14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.
18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit.
19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’
23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
The Two Gates:
The Two Gates:
13 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.
14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
These are, of course, the way to heaven and the way to hell.
The broad way is the easy way; it is the popular way.
But we must not judge spiritual profession by statistics; the majority is not always right. The fact that “everybody does it” is no proof that what they are doing is right.
Quite the contrary is true: God’s people have always been a remnant, a small minority in this world.
Why???
The reason is not difficult to discover: The way of life is narrow, lonely, and costly.
We can walk on the broad way and keep our “baggage” of sin and worldliness. But if we enter the narrow way, we must give up those things.
That means that you cannot continue to count other things in your life as most important than God. Jesus cannot be Lord if you never surrender things to Him!
Here, then, is the first test: Did your profession of faith in Christ cost you anything?
If not, then perhaps you do not know Jesus!
Many people who “trust” Jesus Christ never leave the broad road with its appetites and associations. They have an easy Christianity that makes no demands on them. Yet Jesus said that the narrow way was hard. We cannot walk on two roads, in two different directions, at the same time.
Following Jesus is not the easy route, but it is attainable when you have Jesus as your strength. Remember, with man some things are impossible, but with God nothing is impossible. It is not the popular path the take, but it certainly the one that offers the most joy!
The Two Trees:
The Two Trees:
15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.
18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit.
19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’
23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
These show that true faith in Christ changes the life and produces fruit for God’s glory.
Everything in nature reproduces after its kind, and this is also true in the spiritual realm.
Good fruit comes from a good tree, but bad fruit comes from a bad tree. The tree that produces rotten fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. “Wherefore, by their fruits you shall know them” (Matt. 7:20).
The second test therefore is this:
Did my decision for Christ change my life?
False prophets who teach false doctrine can produce only a false righteousness (see Acts 20:29).
So we know what the fruit from a tree is, but what is the fruit of a person? It is what they do…their actions.
Their fruit (the results of their ministry) is false and cannot last. The prophets themselves are false; the closer we get to them, the more we see the falsity of their lives and doctrines.
They magnify themselves, not Jesus Christ; and their purpose is to exploit people, not to edify them. The person who believes false doctrine, or who follows a false prophet, will never experience a changed life. Unfortunately, some people do not realize this until it is too late.
That is why it is important for you all and myself to always check what a person says and compare it to the Bible. Does it line up? Are they teaching truth?
We should not just blindly follow a person just because they seem like they know what they are doing or saying. The same is true for what you all should be doing with me. I don’t want you to assume that I’m false and gonna lie, but you should always hear me and then see if what you are reading is communicating the same message.
When A person is truly changed by Jesus, they live differently. This is not to say that you will be perfect or not mess up and say/do things that you shouldn’t, but it does mean that the pattern of your life should be changing for the better.
Unfortunately, some people will claim that they know God, but really they have been sold a lie and are believing the lie that following Jesus is of no cost, nothing changes in your life, and you keep living how you were before. This is not the truth, and those people will be in for a rude awakening one day.
JESUS CHANGES EVERYTHING!!!!
Matthew 7:24–27
Matthew 7:24–27
Before reading this section, have the students practice building a house using cards and using blocks.
Which one was stronger? Which one stood the test? One seemed to have a clear advantage didn’t it… we will talk about that
24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.
26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.
27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”
We get to the very end of Jesus’ sermon.... and he concludes by saying this:
“Everyone who has heard these words”
Guess what, that now includes you!!!
We have read through it and studied through it, which was more than what the people then were exposed to. They heard it from Jesus (which would be quite quite the upgrade than hearing it from me). But they didn’t have someone to help explain and study it with them.
You have!
And what does He say? Those who heard these words are like someone who is building a house on a firm foundation!
Storms/hard times will come into your life, but your house (aka your life…you!) will stand firm. Why? Because your foundation and your strength is Jesus.
Others, however, who hear Jesus and then ignore Him will be compared to someone who builds their home on a sandy beach. Not a good foundation. Water can move the sand and make the home unstable.
Kinda like building a house made of cards. Not very wise or stable. When the wind blows, when the water rises, when the rain falls, when difficult and challenging things happen in your life, what will come out of it? You will stumble and fall.
Sounds like that wide gate that leads to destruction.
ARE YOU WILLING TO RISK YOUR LIFE AND YOUR EVERYTHING BY BUILDING ON THE SAND? BY IGNORING JESUS? NOW THAT YOU HAVE HEARD THE TRUTH, THERE IS NO ESCAPING THE CONSEQUENCES OF YOUR CHOOSING TO NEGLECT IT!
And what I get to at the very end of all that we have studied and invested in is this:
Do you KNOW Jesus? Do you have a relationship with Him?
This is only available by surrendering your life to Him and choosing to trust Him as your Savior.
Do you believe that you need saving? Forgiveness? That your sin really separates you from Him? That your sin is against an infinitely holy God. And even just one sin against our holy God is deserving of our separation from Him in hell?
That He loves you enough that He is offering forgiveness through the sacrifice of Jesus!
That once you are forgiven, you now wear the righteousness of Jesus!
One day when you stand before God to give an account of your life, what reason will you give Him that should allow you to enter heaven. And I promise you, there is only one acceptable answer to that question:
Because of Jesus! He invited me, and I received the offer! Jesus said I could come to be with Him!
Listen guys, I don’t want to sit here and preach at you, but far be it from me to have the answer to the most amazing news in the world and just keep it to myself.
What you do with this will be on you. But I am sharing it with you!
If you want to make that decision to follow Jesus, no matter how narrow the gate, no matter the storms that will come…do not ever be embarrassed to come to me, Penny, Teresa, pastor Kevin or whoever and ask us to walk you through this! Salvation does not require any work on your part. It is a gift. But living righteously and in obedience to God will require intentional work and commitment. Righteous living is not your basis to heaven remember? God looks to the heart. But when you are changed by Jesus, you will want to do what is right. You will want to live well.
Finally, remember Jesus’s words:
To everyone who asks, it will be given to them. To whoever seeks, they will find. To whoever knocks, the door will be opened.
God has done everything to reach you. Will you finally see it and respond to following Him?
That is my challenge to you. Do not delay in coming to Him. Do not be deceived like the false teachers we read about on Wednesday night who said: remember all I did for you Jesus? And Jesus tells them, I don’t know you. You never had a genuine relationship with me. Do you know that you know that you know you are going to heaven?
You coming here week after week will not grant you entrance into heaven and forgiveness. I’m certainly glad you come. But Jesus tells us:
“I am the way, the truth and the life. Nobody comes to the father but through me.”
Let’s pray, and if you are ready to talk and make a decision, do not leave here today until it is settled!